Mushroom Cup

A simple, straight-forward beginners' course, Luigi Circuit kicks the game off on to an easy tip. The long straight that runs parallel to the finish line has an off-road ramp on the left-hand side with a power-up on it, but you'll need a boost from a Mushroom or a Star in order to reach it. Try to use the speed pads on the final wide bend for a huge jolt that'll see you through to the finish line in style. Plenty of straights also make this circuit ripe for abusing the Wheelie Boost when riding a bike.

Watch for the underground tremors on this course, as they'll slow you down to a crawl if driven over. Note that the cows will also randomly wander into the road on the second and third laps, causing further obstruction. Be sure to pull a stunt off the ramp leading over the grassy hills in the penultimate straight for a nice speed boost and some mid-air power-ups, simultaneously taking care not to land directly on the grass beneath if you want the perfect racing line.

One of the game's prettier courses offers a unique change of pace, with bouncy mushrooms that act somewhat like huge go-karting trampolines. For the fastest route, take the right forks when you hit both sets of mushrooms, making sure you pull stunts off the final bounce of each set. Resist the urge to use Mushrooms, Stars and other boosting techniques at any other point when bouncing around on these things, though, or you're more than likely go hurtling off into the abyss below due to excess speed.

The trick to this course is mastering use of the various conveyer belts peppered throughout the factory. Travelling on the forward-pointing ones will provide an increase in your revs - just note how they change directions from lap to lap. Be careful to avoid the crates and stomping machines of course, then follow a zigzag motion on the home straight in order to hit all three speed pads in quick succession and you should make it through with the gold. Alternatively, a triple Mushroom boost down this muddy centre will work even better.